''Edwin'' was a ship that was wrecked near

Cape Hawke Cape Hawke () is a coastal headland in Australia on the New South Wales coast, just south of Forster/ Tuncurry and within the Booti Booti National Park. The cape was named by Captain Cook when he passed it on his ''Endeavour'' voyage on 12 May 1 ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia in late June 1816. ''Edwin'' was a

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoo ...

of 15 tons and owned by John Palmer in Sydney. It was under the command of Captain R. Matthews when it sailed from Sydney for the

Hawkesbury Hawkesbury or Hawksbury may refer to: People *Baron Hawkesbury, or Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool (1727-1808), English statesman Places ;Geography *Hawkesbury Island, an island in British Columbia, Canada *Hawkesbury Island, Queensland, ...

on 10 June 1816. A violent gale blew the ship off course, destroyed the ships rigging and sails and drove it into a huge surf eighty miles North of Port Stephens. Here it was driven ashore near Cape Hawke, in late June or early July 1816. Matthews with his wife, young child and two crew made it to shore but the local aborigines took their clothes and provisions. Forced to live on shellfish and grass they walked southwards towards

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

getting to within fifteen miles before Mrs Matthews and the child collapsed from exhaustion. The others made Newcastle and sent out a rescue party who brought in the two exhausted people.

References

Shipwrecks of the Mid North Coast Region Schooners of Australia Individual sailing vessels Maritime incidents in 1816 1816 in Australia 1788–1850 ships of Australia Merchant ships of Australia {{Merchantship-stub